The advantage of using tax software – Le Journal de Montreal

Is it beneficial to use software to prepare their tax return? For most taxpayers, is yes.

If you have never done it, you’ll save time compared to the manual method. Because the software requires 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes of your time. And online is cheaper than the CD.

From the dozen software on the market, four from the crowd for their simplicity, because they cover Quebec and they are approved by the Government: Tax-Fast, UFile, H & amp; R Block Tax and Business, the latter being the only product with a Quebec firm, Software Marichênes <. / p>

Their online versions are compatible with Windows and Mac, but only the company H & amp; R Block offers free his online or on CD (in offices post), the latter also being the only Mac compatible. But there is a catch: we strongly encourage you (which is annoying) to go to the company’s offices to make to your statements

By cons, some online versions of UFile and TurboTax are free. At UFile Tax Professional, is the case if you are a post-secondary student (proven by a statement 8 or T2202A) if your family income is less than $ 20,000 or if you qualify supplement federal Guaranteed Income . Free QuickTax applies regardless of your income if you have only T4s / RL-1s to declare (not investment or RRSP income).

For people who have a salary, an RRSP and who have one or two donations in the year, the online version is sufficient. For others, obtain the CD.

Prices range from $ 10 to $ 130, depending on the complexity and number of users. Most households use the basic version, costing $ 15 to $ 25 online (add $ 20 for the CD).

The software works usually through “interview”: they ask you a series of questions about your tax and family situation and then go to the tables, where the figures are compiled automatically. Only TurboTax offers to skip the interview stage (for regulars). I suggest you use the interview, especially if you have limited tax knowledge.

Tax Professional, it offers a series of paintings that reproduce faithfully all tax statements. It is simplicity itself. Simply type in numbers where appropriate.

These software carry out a series of final checks before making the transfer to electronic governments, which is very safe. Professional tax alone does not allow the transfer of software data to the other for the past years. In others, the transfer is possible, but sometimes you have still banging more digits manually.

Please note that the statements of deceased persons and that have failed in the past year are required to be transmitted to the IRS on paper. List of approved software. Federal (http://bit.ly/1AvEEKy), provincial (http://bit.ly/1Lj7Bnn)

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Our tips

• The software does not work on your Mac? Download Boot Camp (http://apple.co/1Ds9rhq) and restart your Mac is a PC; Then roll your tax software compatible with PC no problem!
• Print your return before sending it and keep all your papers for seven years, and a digitized version other than your home .
• Are you an entrepreneur, self-employed or an active investor: the accountant or tax professional is needed to prepare statements

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